In a bid to shore up the existing development structures in the region, this year’s NCBA Golf Series has been tailor-made to feature two junior tourneys at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort in Uganda and Nyali Golf Club in Mombasa, Kenya.
The Junior tournaments will be held in partnership with Junior Golf Foundation and U.S. Kids Golf as part of the company’s continued commitment to supporting junior golf development in Kenya.
The bank made the announcement during the launch of the third edition of the NCBA Golf Series, which is geared towards promoting golf across the East African region.
The 2023 NCBA Golf Series will see a total of 17 club qualifier events played at various golf clubs across Kenya and Uganda, and for the first time since its inception, the series will visit Rwanda and Tanzania.
The format of play for this year’s edition will be stroke play, where the player's score is determined by the number of strokes they have played on the course. This is different from the past two editions where the format was Stableford.
The overall winner, men’s category winner, ladies’ category winner and the junior category winner at each of the 17 events will qualify to play at the Grand Finale which will be held in December at the Sigona Golf Club.
This year, the top prize at the finale will be Sh100,000 to each of the top three winners including the overall winner, men's winner and lady winner.
Speaking during the launch of the series held at Kenya Railway Golf Club, NCBA Group managing director, John Gachora said: "We are delighted to launch the NCBA Golf Series 2023, which is part of our continued commitment to democratizing golf in the East African region.
"Going by the success of the first two editions, we believe this series will not only promote the game but also contribute to the growth and development of the game in Kenya and the East African region.”
"We believe the series will provide a platform for golfers across the region to showcase their skills and talent. This is an opportunity to elevate the sport and offer a unique experience for golf enthusiasts and players alike. We shall also continue with our investment in junior golfers by offering them an opportunity to nurture their skills and talent. We believe that developing young talent is critical to the growth of the sport in Kenya and the region and also contributes to personal growth for the children"
On her part, NCBA Group director of marketing & communication, Nelly Wainaina said: "This series is important to us as a company as it not only provides a unique platform for golf enthusiasts to showcase their talent but also offers an opportunity for NCBA partners and customers to network, explore business opportunities and build long-lasting relationships. "
The series teed off on Saturday at the Kenya Railway Golf Club with 150 golfers participating in the tournament.
